Serendipity
by JoanIncarnate
Summary: Grimmjow returns to his hometown after twenty years to reconnect with his family. He doesn't expect much to happen, not in little, quiet, old Karakura, except that meeting Ichigo completely throws him off his game. Suddenly, it's like every time he turns around, it's Ichigo Fucking Kurosaki, all up in his business. He's everywhere and it's almost enough to make him paranoid.
1. 2 AM, Metaphors, and Skies

**WARNINGS:** AU, Yaoi, Language, Sexual innuendo (and maybe eventually sexual acts, I don't quite know yet), Mild violence, OOC

**DISCLAIMERS:** I don't own Bleach or its characters, because they all belong to the wonderful Tite Kubo and I am just another deranged fan. *sigh* I only own this story, but I'm crediting whoever came up with the list of 64 themes on livejournal, because I'm using the prompts to guide me along the story.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: 2 AM, Metaphors, and Skies**

The summer air is muggy and warm on Grimmjow's skin as he makes his way down the street. Dim circles of light illuminate the streets only to show that he's the only one out and about in this sleeping town at this time of the night. Pulling his damp t-shirt apart from his skin, he curses his damn jetlag. If it were up to him, he would be sleeping too but things came up and he decided to push his move to Karakura a few weeks earlier.

Which meant the only plane he could catch was one that landed at some ungodly hour of the night, and the work done to his apartment wasn't anywhere near completed. Not that Grimmjow minded toughing it out for a few weeks or so but he chose to arrive right during the worst heat wave Karakura's had in years and his apartment has no air-conditioning as of now.

So two hours of tossing and turning later, Grimmjow began his quest to find some booze and work himself into an alcohol-induced nap.

One would think that he would be more familiar with the layout of his hometown, but twenty years can change a lot. Everything that he thought he remembered is no longer there. Grimmjow had been roaming the streets for about half an hour now when he finally stumbled upon a small bar. "Katen Kyokotsu." The lights coming from the windows were as hazy as candlelights- was this place even open?

A bell rang over his head as the man pushed open the door to the local establishment. It looked bigger on the inside than it did on the outside; half-restaurant, half-bar, entirely cozy. Peeking around, Grimmjow could see it was pretty empty- just a couple of inebriated middle aged men left loitering at the bar area and what appeared to be a bartender behind the counter.

Grimmjow hopped up on one of the tall stools by the bar, wondering when the bartender would notice him. All he could see of the guy was his back and a head of flaming orange hair. The bartender was completely off in his own world, wiping down glasses with a cloth until they were squeaky clean.

No, really, Grimmjow could hear the weird squeaky noises from across the counter. What kind of glasses needed that kind of hardcore scrubbing, anyway? Was he trying to rub a hole in there or something?

Clearing his throat, Grimmjow nodded. "'Sup."

The guy almost dropped his shiny glasses before turning around. His wide brown eyes reveal how surprised he was to be caught off guard. "Oh, whoa. I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were waiting."

Grimmjow grinned, "No worries. I could tell you were working on something real important."

The bartender smirked, "Yeah, sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to come in so I started to clean up early." He set down his cloth and glasses to lean over the counter. "So, what can I get for you?"

"Ah," Grimmjow scratched the back of his neck, "Scotch? Yeah, scotch on the rocks."

"Comin' right up."

Tinkling sounds of ice and pouring liquid filled the silence. The blue-haired customer drummed his fingers against the counter top with his head resting on his palm while his eyes watched the bartender. He smirked. _'Here lies the bartender, in his natural environment. Watch as he moves through his territory.'_

He wasn't very tall for a male, only reaching up to about Grimmjow's mouth, but he was toned and muscular in a subtle way that shouted, "Hey, I don't live at the gym but I could still kick ass if I wanted to, 'kay?" His spiky hair made it look like his head was set on fire, and Grimmjow meant that in the best way possible. His face was all soft angles. The bartender turned around to grab something and Grimmjow caught a glint of whisky colored eyes.

Grimmjow grinned. He had a thing for brown eyes and gingers and it was the last thing he was expecting to be able to find someone so completely his type in this place.

He had no doubt the orange-haired male was younger than him, at least by a few years. He himself was twenty-six so the other guy was probably, what, twenty-three? Twenty-two? If he was any older than that, he sure carried his age well. The kid looked like he could still be in high school. Nah, he was definitely over twenty-one if he was working at a bar. Grimmjow usually went for guys closer to his age but he was willing to make an exception for the cutie.

A cold glass slid over to rest at his hand where Grimmjow caught hold of it. He lifted it up to his forehead and rested it there, sighing when the glass made contact with his skin. The cool touch was heaven in this sweltering heat.

"God, it is hot around here."

The bartender grinned, "You're not from around here, are you?"

"That," Grimmjow smirked, "is not entirely true. I was born here and then moved a long time ago, but I'm back for good this time. Was it that obvious?"

He shrugged. "Hey, anyone from around here knows that the summer heat doesn't lift until late August. I mean, yeah, this is worse than usual, but not by much. I figure we still have about two weeks left before it starts to cool."

Grimmjow cursed, "I'll already be starting work by then! Ah, damn, it's gonna be a bitch and a half to work in this heat if they don't have air-conditioning."

Brown eyes glinted with mischief. "It's not so bad. I manage alright, don't I? You'll get used to it soon enough."

The blue-haired man sighed and chugged down his drink.

"So. You said you're moving here?"

"Yup."

"Where from?"

Grimmjow set down his glass and swirled the ice around. "Las Noches."

The orange-head raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Big city. What could make you return to a small town like this?"

"Small towns have their charm," Grimmjow said, shooting a grin at the bartender. "Besides, I have family and roots here."

"I see... you must be close to them if you're willing to drop your whole life to come back for them." The ginger asked while refilling the now empty glass.

He shrugged. "Not really. I haven't seen much of them since I moved but there wasn't much for me in Las Noches at my anyway. My coworkers were turds so it made my job less than desirable and most of my closest friends moved out of the city so it's not like I have anyone to miss."

"No girlfriend?"

"Nope," Grimmjow downed the drink again. "My last girlfriend broke up with me a year ago and I broke up with my last boyfriend over six months ago."

"Boyfri- _oh_." Brown eyes widened and darted around awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Nah, I'm not offended. Unless you have a problem with it?" Grimmjow glared at him. "Do you?"

"No! No, of course not!" The orange-head shook his head, "No, I don't judge or anything. I mean, not that there's anything to judge, right? Freedom to love and all that? It's your right to be with whoever you want, no, no one here minds that kind of stuff!" His face turned red and he abruptly shut up, refilling the glass like a robot.

Grimmjow had propped his chin up with his elbow on the counter as the other man was babbling on. He could tell he was making the bartender flustered and terribly embarrassed. He didn't care, he liked getting people worked up. At the very least, it was funny and at it's very best, it was adorable.

"Calm down, I was just messing with you," he chuckled. "I don't care if you or anyone else minds, it's my own business."

"You make it a habit to irritate people handling your food and drinks?"

"Only when they're interesting enough to be worth it. And hey, the customer is always right, so check that attitude of yours, 'kay?"

The ginger glared at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know I was in the company of an asshole."

"Yep. A handsome, charming asshole. Careful," Grimmjow winked, "or you might just fall for me."

He scoffed. "I don't think we're in any danger there." He refilled the empty glass.

Grimmjow chewed on an ice cube as he eyed the bartender. He could feel the effects of the alcohol kicking in now. "Ginger, are you always this cranky or is it just that time of the month?"

"Don't call me that."

"What? A woman or Ginger? What else am I supposed to call you? I don't even know your name yet."

"I don't care. Don't call me Ginger."

"Why?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does it bring up bad childhood memories or something?"

The bartender scoffed. "No, I just don't like people singling me out for my hair."

"Ah, I can sympathize with that." Grimmjow nodded. "People always thinking you're some delinquent punk, always trying to pick a fight with you. Jesus fucking Christ, don't even get me started on the ignorance of school dress codes."

"You know, I've been wondering," he paused for a second, the bottle of scotch frozen over Grimmjow's glass. "Is your hair really natural?"

The blue-haired man grinned like a shark at the other man. "Wanna find out?"

He rolled his eyes. "Tempting as that offer sounds, no thanks. I make it a point not to get involved with anyone I meet at work. Trust me, it's just a bad idea."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, silently prompting the other man to continue.

Ginger sighed. "Okay, look. Those who come in alone have their own story, their own set of problems. All they want is to drown out their sorrows in alcohol and drink until they forget. I get that. They're desperate for someone to pay attention to them without judging them and the bartender makes for a convenient and free psychologist. I can lend them an ear, but that's all I'm doing for them. Anything else and I would be better suited for a whole other profession, you know what I mean?"

The words were said so matter-of-factly that it made Grimmjow feel a little guilty for the way he was coming onto the guy. "Yeah, sorry."

Ginger shrugged. "It's okay, you're not as bad as some of the others."

"If it's all so bad, why are you still working here? Why don't you just quit?" The bartender looked way too young to be stuck in a dead-end job.

"No, it's not that simple, and the job really isn't as bad as I'm making it sound. It's just been a long day and I'm getting pissy," he rolled his brown eyes. "The pay is good and my coworkers are cool. My boss is great, an old friend of the family actually, so there's not much more that I can ask for."

"Huh... I can't say I understand but it's your life so who am I to tell you how to live it?"

"Thanks. You'll be surprised how many people don't understand that line of logic." He eyed the empty glass on the counter. "No offense, but if that's all you'll be having, I'm going to close shop soon."

"Aw, come on. That's low, you're just blackmailing me now."

"Hey, business is business." The bartender smirked. "Besides, I'm not kidding. We usually close after 2AM. The only reason we're still open is because Komamura, Iba, and Omaeda over there are regulars and friends with my boss." Grimmjow turned around to see three men in various states of inebriation slumped over a table. "Once the three of them get to the point where they can't stand, that's when we close."

Grimmjow sighed. "Alright, fine. Fill 'er up again. And what have you got in the way of beer? Corona?"

"Coming right up."

"Swindler."

"Call it what you want," Ginger said as he slid an opened glass bottle at Grimmjow.

Blue eyes glared at the smug ginger as he took a gulp of the beer. "And _I _am the asshole here?"_  
_

"Yup." He grinned and leaned over the counter. "I am but a mere smartass."

Grimmjow smirked, "Ain't that the truth. It's a good thing you're cute because that smartass-attitude is not going to do you any favors."

The bartender blanched. "Oh, hell no, you did _not_ just call me cute."

"What's so bad about cute? It's a compliment!" Grimmjow defended himself. Honestly, he was a little more surprised that the other man wasn't more offended at the blatant flirting, but rather offended by the word choice. He honestly was going to stop flirting with Ginger but the words just spilled out before he even realized what he was saying.

"Yeah, if you're a _girl_!" He crossed his arms and scowled. "Using 'cute' to describe a guy is just creepy and insulting."

"Fine, fine," the blue-haired man rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing you're _hot, _because once you open your mouth, you go from being attractive to annoying."

The bartender pondered the new phrasing. "Not great, but it's an improvement."

Grimmjow drank the rest of the scotch with a wide grin and leaned in towards the other male. "Hey. What's that poem? The English one that goes, 'Shall I compare you to a summer day?' And then something about the summer being more lovely or shit? 'Cause that poem fits you like a glove."

To his surprise, the other man laughed. "Man, you got that all wrong. The poem goes:

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_  
_Thou art more lovely and more temperate._  
_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_  
_And summer's lease hath all too short a date."_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_  
_And often is his gold complexion dimmed;_  
_And every fair from fair sometime declines,_  
_By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed."_

_But thy eternal summer shall not fade_  
_Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;_  
_Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,_  
_When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st."_

_"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,_  
_So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."_

Ginger shook his head fondly and snorted. "It's a love poem! Not a poem to insult someone. He's telling his loved one that he's lovelier than summer itself. And unlike the changing seasons, his love's beauty is constant, because as long as his affection for his love doesn't die, neither will the beauty of his love."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, "Relax, it was a metaphor. I was close enough."

"Yeah, right." He crossed his arms and leaned over the counter with the hugest smirk on his face. "It's William Shakespeare's 18th sonnet. I can't believe there are people out there who actually don't know this poem."

"Excuse me for not bein' a nerd," the blue-haired man drank his scotch- refilled while he wasn't looking- with a scowl, thoroughly chagrined. He was usually a lot smoother than this. He couldn't be losing his touch. It was the alcohol messing with his brain. Yup. Had to be. "Wait, you said _'he's _lovelier than summer itself'? Shakespeare was gay?"

"Bisexual, probably. He had a wife."

"Huh. Whaddaya know." Grimmjow set down the glass with a happy sigh. "Yer hot, summer's hot, it all works out."

He cracked up. "Oh, God. Are you drunk already?"

"Not drunk enough, if you ask me."

"Really? And how drunk are you aiming to be?"

Grimmjow thought about it. "I 'unno. At first I just wanted to have enough so that I would be sleepy enough to pass out. Now I don't feel like doin' that anymore," then he grinned, "unless you want to join me?"

"Damn, how many of those did I give you?"

"Enough for me to want to take you home."

"Yeah, okay. I think that's enough for one day," the bartender pulled the glass and bottle away from Grimmjow. "I don't want to be the one to tell the cops in the morning that I was responsible for your drunk ass drowning in the river or something equally stupid."

"My ass is beautiful!"

"Yes, yes, is there someone I can call to pick you up? We're closing now. For real this time."

"_You_ can pick me up all day, 'erry day."

"Wow, that was lame," Ginger chuckled. "Even by your standards."

"I 'unno what yer talkin' about," Grimmjow slurred.

The bartender smirked as he led the tipsy man out the door. "Sorry, but I think I'm a little too young for you."

Blue eyes squinted at the orange fringed face that was getting blurrier. "Aw, c'mon. What are ya, like twenty two?" He leaned his weight into the shorter male, thoroughly taking advantage of their positioning to get closer to him. Grimmjow eyed his face. Freckles here across the bridge of the nose and smooth tan skin everywhere else, but no wrinkles or anything.

"Yeah, sure."

"Ginger, age is just a _number_. Ya can't be afraid to try new things! That's _life_. Be spontaneous. Carpe diem or some shit. Ya know? Seize the sky!"

Ah, the sky. It was so clear and purpley black with a smattering of stars stretched across it, which danced in his vision. He really missed seeing this. There was nothing like this in Las Noches.

"Wow, look at you. First it's Shakespeare and now it's Latin. You sure know how to turn on the charm," he teased.

"I _told_ you so. Smart and handsome! I'll treat ya real nice." Grimmjow said as he was directed into a cab. Huh? When did that get there?

"Uh huh." Ginger pushed him into the backseat. "Where do you live?"

Grimmjow chuckled as Ginger shoved him in. "You like to be in charge, huh? 606 Hueco Mundo Boulevard, corner of Arrancar Avenue. Les' go, I'll letcha man-handle me all ya want."

"No, you moron," Ginger snapped with a rosy flush. "The cab driver needs to know!" He was about to pull away when Grimmjow tugged him down by his neck and their lips met.

Grimmjow sighed into the kiss as he pulled the other male down to the backseat with him. He sucked on the other man's bottom lip and wrapped his arms around his neck until their chests were touching. "Mmmm."

It was warm and soft and pleasant, like the buzz in his head.

That was the last thing he remembered before completely blacking out.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I think I got this list of 64 prompts from livejournal (and I say "I think" because it happened so long ago). Anyhow, I've been keeping around these lists of prompts for a while and didn't have anything reason to use it so I decided to combine a plot bunny of mine with the 64 themes/prompts list to spur the direction of the story.

I really should be finishing all the other stories but... this one somehow wrote itself. Maybe it's the prompts, but this one is so much easier to write.


	2. Lost Scenes, Degrees, and Seize the Day

**CHAPTER 2: Lost Scenes, Degrees, and Seizing the Day**

_"But I don't wanna go."_

_A sad smile graced her face and she brushed the unruly bangs from her boy's forehead. "I know, sweetheart. I don't want you to go either. But I can't take care of you right now so you have to go live with Grandma for a while, okay? You remember Grandma? She lives in Las Noches."_

_The boy's forehead crinkled as he tried to remember. He had faint recollections of a small old lady, surrounded by a backdrop of lights and noise. "But I don't like Las Noches. It's big and there's too many people and it's loud." He tugged at his mother's skirt and looked up at her. "I wanna stay here with you."_

_"Oh, I know, I know. But think about Grandma. She's all alone in that big city. She needs someone strong like my little Grimmy to take care of her," she said cuffing him playfully on the chin._

_The boy hummed. She made an excellent point. He was, after all, going to be a Power Ranger when he grew up. Who better to protect Granny than the Blue Ranger? "Okay," he said reluctantly. The life of a hero was a lonely one._

_Grimmjow pouted. "But why can't you come with me, Mommy? You can be my sidekick."_

_"I'll always be your sidekick," she knelt down to his eye level, "but I can't take care of you and keep my job at the same time."_

_He pursed his lips together and dug his fingers into his palms. He could feel tears pricking his eyes and a lump in his throat. "__You can get a job in Las Noches too, and then you could be with me forever and ever. Don't you want that?"_

_She looked away so that her son couldn't see the tears in her eyes. __"Baby, trust me. You'll understand when you're older; I need to stay in Karakura," she caressed his chubby cheeks with her hand and brushed away the tears. "If Mommy could choose, I would never let you go."_

_He pushed her away. "You're lying! You care more about your job than you care about me!"_

_"No! No, please, Grimmjow, I love you-"_

_"You're lying! I hate you!"_

* * *

_The car drew to a stop outside of a small house. Grimmjow had his arms crossed and head faced towards the window for the whole two hour car ride, refusing to talk to or even look at that traitor._

_His mother looked at his hunched over back. "I know you don't like it, but it's only for a little while, okay? Just until Mommy has enough to get a nicer place and move you and Granny to Karakura. We'll still see each other on the weekends."_

_He didn't respond._

_"Grimmjow, sweetie, I know you're still mad at me and I don't blame you. I'm angry with myself. But please, don't take this out on Granny, okay?"_

_He didn't respond._

_His mother sighed. "Alright. I guess I'm not getting any words out of you today." _

_She honked twice so that her mother would know they had arrived. A few minutes later, a little old lady came out of the house, accompanied by a pretty teenager._

_Grimmjow's eyes grew at the sight of her hair. It was long and curly and orangey-brown. He never saw hair like that before in Karakura. __He had never seen anyone so pretty before. __He always thought girls were kind of icky with their cooties and all, but now he was beginning to see what everyone was talking about with "love" and all that._

_His mother unlocked the car doors and the two of them stepped out of the car. She kissed Granny on the cheek, "Hi, Mom. Thank you for this, really."_

_Granny grasped her daughter's hands and smiled. "No, dearie, thank _you._ I need a big, strong man in the house," she said with a wink in Grimmjow's direction._

_For the first time since the funeral, Grimmjow grinned. She was cool. He liked Granny already._

_His mother opened up the trunk and started unloading the boxes. Taking the big ones into the house, she waved at the girl, who took the rest of the luggage. "Hey, thanks for helping out. I didn't know you would be here today."_

_The girl smiled at his mother. "What? I wouldn't miss it for the world!" She noticed Grimmjow watching her and he immediately looked away. She waved at him. "So, you must be the infamous Grimmjow."_

_He wrinkled his nose. "What's 'infamous' mean?"_

_"It means your mommy tells me a lot of stories about you. Like you breaking the windows, or breaking bones, or getting into fights. You sure get into a lot of trouble for a kid, don't you?"_

_"Hey! I'm not a kid! I'm six and a half years old!" Grimmjow frowned. He may get into a lot of trouble but it wasn't his fault. He wasn't a bad kid._

_"That's not very impressive to someone sixteen years old, you know," she said with a mischievous smile._

_Grimmjow glared at her. "I don't like her," he announced to his mother as she came back out of the house. "She's mean to me."_

_His mother smiled appreciatively at the girl for getting her son to speak to her before she left. She put her arm around the girl's shoulders and smiled. "Well, Masaki here is a good friend of mine, so you be nice to her too, okay?"_

_He crossed his arms and grumbled._

_She ruffled her son's blue hair affectionately before standing. "Alright, that's the last of Grimmjow's boxes. I have to get back now."_

_Granny and the girl nodded while Grimmjow frowned. She was going. She was really going. She was going to go and never come back, just like Daddy._

_His mother was heading back to the car when Grimmjow ran after her. "Mommy, don't leave me!"  
_

_She caught her son with surprise. He buried his teary face in her shirt. "Mommy, don't leave me! I'll be good! Don't leave me!"_

_Familiar arms wrapped around him and his mother buried her face into his tiny torso. Grimmjow could feel his shirt get wet from where his mother's tears seeped in._

* * *

_"Hey there, little guy." Masaki peeked her head into the boy's bedroom and found him lying despondently on the floor. "How you holding up?"_

_He shrugged._

_"Yeah? Okay," she nodded. "You need any help with unpacking?"_

_"No. Go away."_

_"What?! Hey! Didn't your mom just tell you to be nice to me?"_

_"Yeah? Well, too bad! Mom isn't here now, is she?"_

_Masaki closed the door behind her and laid down next to him. __"You know, you shouldn't be so hard on your mom. She really does love you."_

_Grimmjow stared up at the ceiling It was weird. When he was living with Mom, he had always bugged her about putting up posters on his bedroom ceiling and she shot him down every time. Now that he was living with Granny, who he could already tell would never tell him no, he didn't really want to anymore._

_"I miss Mommy."_

_Masaki nodded. "I know."_

_"I miss Daddy too."_

_"I know."_

_"Daddy said that he loved me too, but then he went and left me and Mommy all alone." He folded his hands over his tummy. "Mommy could do the same thing. No one's stopping her. __I wouldn't even know if she did.__"_

_"Alright, kid. Listen here. Your dad didn't leave you because he wanted to, okay? He was sick for a very long time and he couldn't help it but leave you guys. Remember how the last few times you saw him, he looked really tired and sad?"_

_Grimmjow nodded._

_"Just know that where he is now, he's not so sad anymore. And you guys aren't alone, he's always watching over you.'_

_"Hmph."_

_"And your Mommy would never leave you. She loves you."_

_"Hmph."_

_Masaki sighed. "Alright, your mom tells me a lot of stories about you. Not all of them are about you being bad, though that does come up a lot. Some of them are about when you were a baby, or things you do at school, or things you say. If I want to talk about school, we end up talking about your grade on your spelling test. If I want to talk about boys, we end up talking about you having a sleepover with your friends. She's one of my best friends and we used to be able to talk about anything but ever since you were born, all she ever talks about is you!"_

_"... Really?"_

_"Yes, really," Masaki rolled over so that she was facing the six year old and __Grimmjow noticed that her eyes were brown._

_"Why?" he whispered._

_She smiled at him. "Why do you think?"_

* * *

_Grimmjow waved goodbye to his mom with a big smile. Once the car was out of sight, he ran back into the house and found his grandmother in the kitchen._

_"Grannnyyyyy!"_

_"Yes, Grimmy, darling?"_

_"Play with me!"_

_"Not right now, sweetie. Granny's making dinner."_

_He whined, "Grannnnnyyy", tugging on her apron._

_"You've been here two months now. You haven't made friends with any of the neighborhood kids?"_

_Grimmjow frowned. "There are no neighborhood kids! It's just me! And school isn't going to start for another two weeks, so I can't make any friends at school yet!"_

_"What about Masaki? She's a very nice girl, and she's right next door."_

_"She's a _girl._" _

_"Aw," Granny turned around and kissed her grandson on the forehead. Ruffling his hair, she pushed him out the door, "Go give her a chance."_

_Groaning, he stomped his way over next door and jammed his thumb into the doorbell._

_A few moments later, Masaki opened the door and looked at him expectantly. "Yes?"_

_Grimmjow crossed his arms with a pout. "Granny wants me to play with you."_

_"Hm, really?" She picked at her nails. "That's too bad. I don't feel like playing right now."_

_He stared at her in shock. "What?! You can't do that!"_

_"Sure I can," she grinned. "See ya."_

_"Noooo," Grimmjow stomped. "Play with me!"_

_"But I thought you didn't like me? You said I was mean. Come to think of it, you've been pretty mean to me too. And I don't like playing with mean little kids so... see ya."_

_"No no no, I'll be nice!"_

_"Really?"_

_Grimmjow shuffled his feet. This girl was so mean. He didn't know how she managed to trick both Granny and Mommy into thinking she was nice, because she wasn't. She was _mean.

_"I don't hear an answer," Masaki said sing-songly._

_"Yes, I'll be nice," he whined. "Can you play with me? Please?" Grimmjow tried very hard to be earnest but it was hard._

_Masaki hummed and tapped her chin. __"No."_

_"WHAT?! You lied?!"_

_"I'm just kidding, calm down." She smiled and headed out towards the street, "Sure, I can play with you. Let's go to the park."_

* * *

_"Masaki! Masaki, help! Masaki!" __The almost-seven year old barreled towards her once he spotted her among all the parents. Thank god she was picking him up from school today. He hugged her legs. "Help, help, help!"_

_"Grimmjow?! What's wrong? Grimmjow!"_

_He looked up at her. "There's a girl in my class who told everyone today that she likes me and she's so weird and gross and everyone says I have to marry her now! I don't want to marry her!"_

_"Is that all?"_

_"I DON'T WANT TO MARRY HER!"_

_She stifled a laugh. "Aw, come on. Don't get all pouty. I think it's adorable! Show me, which girl is it?"_

_"Cirucci. She's the one with purple hair and pigtails."_

_Masaki searched in the crowd of parents and children before spotting the aforementioned girl. "I don't get it, she's cute."_

_"Nooooo," he whined. "Argh, I can't talk you about this! You're a girl!"_

_"Hey," she said, affronted. "I thought you said I was cool!"_

_"You are, but-" he gasped. Grimmjow suddenly thought of the ultimate solution. "Masaki! I'm gonna marry you!"_

_"What?!"_

_"You're the only girl I know who is cool so I'm going to marry you and then I don't have to marry anyone else! Can you marry me? Please? Huh? Pleasseee?"_

_"Uh, Grimmjow, it doesn't work that way."_

_He stared at her with big, sad blue puppy eyes. "Masaki nee-chan, do you hate me?"_

_"That's not- no, I meant-"_

_He sniffled. "You hate me!"_

_"No! No, that's not true! I love you! Just not like-"_

_"You don't want to be with me forever and ever?"_

_"No, I do, it's just that-"_

_"You don't want to marry me?"_

_"I- I- I didn't say that, I just-"_

_"Cool, thanks!" he ran off to break the news to Cirucci. Sorry, ladies, but Grimmjow Jeagerjaques was off the market._

* * *

_As he heard a car park outside, Grimmjow jumped out of his bed with a start and a big smile on his face._

_Today was the day. It had been a long two months since she left for college but Masaki was finally coming back to visit. And he decided he couldn't wait any longer; today was going to be the day he made her his girlfriend._

_He ran down the stairs, nearly tripping himself in the process and slid down the banister. His feet hit the ground, and right on cue, the doorbell rang._

_He hastened to open it and launched himself into the arms of his third favorite female (first being Mom, second being Granny)._

_ "Masaki!" _

_She laughed and caught him. "Hey there, kiddo. You're getting pretty big, aren't you?"_

_He smirked as she ruffled his hair. "Masaki, I have something I need to tell you!"_

_"Oh! Me too!" Masaki said, clapping her hands together in delight. "There's someone I want you to meet." She stepped aside and revealed the tall, scruffy man standing behind her. She let go of Grimmjow and shyly took the hand of the man. "Grimmjow, this is my boyfriend, Isshin Kurosaki."_

_The man smiled at Grimmjow and extended a hand, but all Grimmjow noticed was the sound of his world crashing around him._

* * *

_"Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful." Granny affectionately caressed Masaki's cheek as the two stood in front of the mirror._

_The now twenty year old woman smiled nervously and smoothed out the wrinkles in her wedding dress. "Do you really think so?"_

_Granny scoffed. "Honey, if there's one thing I know, it's that that boy Isshin would marry you even if you walked down the aisle tomorrow in a garbage bag." She waved her grandson towards them. "Grimmy, tell Masaki how pretty she looks."_

_"Hmph." The ten year old glared at them and went back to sulking in his corner._

_"Grimmjow Jeagerjacques," Granny warned._

_Grimmjow pouted and reluctantly admitted, "You look nice."_

_"Just nice?"_

_"No," he rolled his eyes. "You look pretty."_

_Granny nodded approvingly while Masaki beamed and fidgeted with the sleeves of her dress. "Gosh, I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow! I remember when you were just a little girl, running around the place with a pillow case over your head, pretending you were a bride. And now it's finally happening," the old lady wiped her eyes and chuckled._

_"Oh, dear. Look at me, getting all emotional." She grasped the hands of the girl she thought of as her own. "Let me just go dry my eyes. I'll go see what I can help out with downstairs."_

_Masaki turned this way and that way in the mirror after Granny left when she noticed a very unhappy Grimmjow through the reflection. "Hey kiddo. What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Yeah right."_

_Grimmjow sighed and plopped down on her bed. "I just don't know why you have to get married so fast, that's all. You're not even done with college yet and you're getting hitched. Are you that desperate for a man?"_

_She slapped the back of his head and glanced down at her stomach, pressing her hands flat against it. "It's not about being desperate. It's about loving someone so indefinitely that you just know no one will ever be able to take their place."_

_The boy rolled his eyes. "And this person just has that doofus?"_

_Masaki raised an eyebrow at the little blue boy. "What do you have against him anyway? You've never liked him, ever since you first met him, even though he's been nothing but nice to you."_

_"He's so weird! And lame!" the boy complained. "He's always running around the place, being an idiot- don't you find it embarrassing when you have to be seen with him? And that beard! What's up with that anyway? Does he think it's cool or something?" He crossed his arms and mumbled, "You're too good for him."_

_"Hey, I happen to like his beard. I think it's quite handsome," she said defensively. "And I find it admirable that he always stays true to him, no matter what other people may think of him."_

_"You're just saying that because you're blinded by love."_

_"And _you_ are just saying that because you've never been in love."_

_Grimmjow huffed. That could not be further from the truth._

_Masaki sighed. "Grimmjow, I thought you were my friend. Why can't you be happy for me?"_

_Grimmjow frowned. "...Once you get married, you're going to move to Karakura, right?" It seemed like the universe was playing a joke on him. He left everything behind in Karakura and right when he was beginning to like Las Noches, Masaki was deciding to move to Karakura. _

_"I'll come back to visit. I promise," she said indulgently._

_The boy scoffed. "Promises aren't worth jack." People left, and that was a fact. They just leave and never come back. They might try, but ultimately, all promises are broken. He looked away and mumbled, "You were supposed to marry me."_

_Masaki sat down next to Grimmjow and took his hand. "I know. I'm sorry, Grimmjow. One day, you'll find someone you really want to marry. When that day comes, I will be so happy for you."_

_"What if I don't?" Grimmjow looked into her big brown eyes and felt as though he would cry. "What if I never fall in love with anyone? Or even worse, what if the person I love doesn't love me back, or leaves me? What then?"_

_Masaki put her free hand on her stomach, touching it absentmindedly, and squeezed his hand with her other hand. "That's a risk we all have to take. Grimmjow, if you ever think you've found that person, the one who makes your heart skip a beat and puts a smile on your face just at the thought of them, you have to hold on to them and never let go." She whispered softly, "Seize the day."_

_Grimmjow leaned his head against her shoulder and she leaned her head against his head._

_The two young friends sat there quietly, holding hands and tuning into the gravity of standing on the precipice of their lives. Everything was changing but in this one moment, the two could be at a standstill. In this moment, they had each other and whatever happened tomorrow was miles away._

* * *

Grimmjow woke slowly as those lost scenes of times past retreated back to his mind. It wasn't that he didn't like remembering his mom, or Masaki, or Granny but dreams in general just put him in a weird mood once he woke up. It was as if he couldn't differentiate which worlds or time lines were real and which were just part of his imagination.

The heat painting his inner eyelids red was starting to bother him and the dusty air of the apartment was getting too stuffy. It must have been at least 100 degrees in there. He blinked a couple times to adjust to the light and then winced. He touched his eye gingerly and cursed when he felt the swollen bruising.

Hobbling over to the bathroom, Grimmjow stubbed his toe on a box of something. '_Damn it, why do I have so much crap anyway? Didn't feel like that much when I wasa living in my old place.'_ It was counterproductive to making way through his apartment when aided with a hangover.

He groaned and shoved the door open. Gripping the sink for balance, Grimmjow squinted at the mirror.

A disheveled man was staring back at him. His hair was sticking up some places and smushed flat elsewhere. One eye was bloodshot and the other one wasn't even open because that's how bad his black eye was. There was a fist-sized bruise where his left eye should have been. Blue-ish purple with red and black spots, ringed by green and yellow. _'It's like staring in a fucking rainbow.'__  
_

He poked it. He just had to.

"Ah, _shit_!"

He groaned and clutched his eye. "Fuck!" He punched the wall and cursed some more.

Grimmjow had gotten into a more than fair share of fights before, and had been on both ends of a black eye though the older he got, the less he was on the receiving side. Maybe it was because it had been too long since his last one, but god damn it, this one hurt like a bitch. He couldn't even remember how he got the damn thing.

He hobbled over to sit on his bed and rubbed his temples. _'Let's see. I was at some bar, drinking scotch. Lots and lots of scotch.' _Right on cue, his head throbbed, reminding him that his hangover wasn't ready to leave yet. _'I was talking to the bartender...' _Grimmjow frowned. _'No, I was _flirting_ with the bartender and he was flirting back... Alright, maybe he wasn't "flirting back" but he wasn't offended by it or anything.'_

_'Anyhow. Talking, flirting, drinking. __Then he put me in a taxi and I kissed- _oh.'

So Ginger was the one responsible for putting the color on his face. Huh.

Well, he couldn't say he really blamed the guy.

Grimmjow touched his eye again (he couldn't resist) as he pondered this newfound subject. At least this meant he was right in his first assessment of the guy. There _was_ some ass-kicking muscle behind that pretty face. He recalled parts of their conversation. _'And apparently, a giant nerd brain too.'_

A brown-eyed ginger with an attractive face, well-endowed brain, and a mean left hook.

_'Interesting.'_

* * *

__**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I feel kind of proud of myself for not taking months to update this, but then again, other writers update weekly. Or even more frequently. *sigh*


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